


Blazing Souls

by TextReciprocation



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, M/M, Self-Indulgent, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, follows the plot of the movie (sort of lol), the author is back on his bullshit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-29 23:43:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21418654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TextReciprocation/pseuds/TextReciprocation
Summary: Galo feels conflicted about his soul mark.All things considered, he should feel lucky. The vibrant, detailed mark wraps around his entire forearm, the two edges almost meeting. According to conventional wisdom, his bond will be strong.And yet, those beautiful twin flames — one blue, one magenta — fill him with dread. When he closes his eyes, he can still feel the Burnish flame that savaged his arm. He still remembers the face of the girl who started that fire. Not an evil face, a scared one.He tries not to think about his soulmate too much. He knows that he’ll do everything in his power to serve and protect them — but if they’re Burnish, it won’t be easy.
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 34
Kudos: 1071
Collections: And they were idiotic SOULMATES





	Blazing Souls

**Author's Note:**

> hey there hi there ho there, it's me, back on My Bullshit™
> 
> this fic is dedicated to and brought to you in part by [MistressEast](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressEast/pseuds/MistressEast), who took me to see this movie and also terrorized a cafe brazil with me at 3AM while we both wrote fanfic. go read her stuff pls
> 
> no warnings except for some cursing, and also like, MASSIVE movie spoilers lol

Galo feels conflicted about his soul mark.

All things considered, he should feel lucky. The vibrant, detailed mark wraps around his entire forearm, the two edges almost meeting. According to conventional wisdom, his bond will be strong. 

And yet, those beautiful twin flames — one blue, one magenta — fill him with dread. When he closes his eyes, he can still feel the Burnish flame that savaged his arm. He still remembers the face of the girl who started that fire. Not an evil face, a _scared_ one.

He tries not to think about his soulmate too much. He knows that he’ll do everything in his power to serve and protect them — but if they’re Burnish, it won’t be easy.

His mark stays covered. When he sees Burnish people get arrested, he tries not to search for blue and purple flames on their skin.

* * *

Galo doesn’t know _ what _ he expected the leader of the Mad Burnish to look like.

Despite his lack of pre-conceptions, reality catches him off guard.

“You’re just a _kid_,” Galo says, gaping at the boy’s porcelain skin and opalescent hair. He looks like he could be Galo’s age — and Galo is definitely not old enough to be the leader of a Burnish terrorist organization.

“You’re one to talk,” The Burnish leader retorts through a sneer.

The rest of the fight happens in a blur.

Galo almost doesn’t notice when his arm-guard gets destroyed. He tries to cover himself back up, but thanks to his exhaustion and his position on the ground, he fails. 

Galo’s attacker gapes at the mark for just a second before visibly composing himself.

“You know,” he says, lavender eyes flashing with anger, “I don’t think your soulmate would appreciate you attacking us like this.”

Galo’s throat clenches, anger flaring in his chest.

“And what would you know of soulmates? Do Burnish even _have_ soulmates?”

Galo is ashamed of the words as soon as they leave his mouth — but not soon enough to stop them. Lio steps toward where Galo lays panting. In that moment, Galo feels like he wants to melt through the rooftop and disappear.

“You know nothing of our struggles,” the Mad Burnish says, voice cracking. “You know nothing about my people. Don’t you dare talk to me about soulmates.”

“You’re right,” Galo whispers. “I’m sorry.” His opponent steps back. For a moment, they look into each other’s eyes, neither of them daring to speak.

Before Galo can say anything — before he can even think — he’s being rescued.

As he watches the leader’s small frame fall victim to anti-Burnish restraints, he feels a sharp pang of regret.

* * *

Galo receives a medal and tries not to think about the leader of the Mad Burnish.

Unfortunately, _everyone he’s ever met_ wants to talk to him about the leader of the Mad Burnish.

“You did excellent work out there,” says Chief, supplying them with another round of Inferno Volcano Margherita Megamax. “Those Mad Burnish terrorists give the Burnish a bad rep.”

Memories flash through Galo’s mind — a small body held together by icy restraints, purple eyes burning with pain and regret. For a moment, the smell of Inferno Volcano Margherita Megamax just makes him feel nauseous.

“They can’t help it,” Aina says. “It’s not something they can control, not really.”

“It’s just a mutation,” Remi adds, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “They don’t choose to have it. It’s what they do with their powers that matters.”

Frowning to himself, Galo looks up at Chief. Sadness hovers around the man’s eyes. With a heavy heart, Galo looks away. The sadness isn’t foreign to Galo — he feels it too. Today, it seems to rest right underneath the medal on his chest, weighing him down.

Staying quiet, Galo watches Varys scarf down slice after slice of pizza. Remi says something about splitting the check, but everything feels distant. It’s as though Galo were floating in a cave underwater.

The sound of a roaring engine snaps him back into the present moment. _ Freeze force_, he thinks, his gut clenching.

Before Galo can do anything, Captain Vulcan is strong-arming himself into the pizzeria and towards the pizza maker in the back.

The pizza maker — shit, Galo never even knew his _ name _ — backs up into a corner. His eyes are wide with fear.

Furious, Galo tries to save him. But… there’s nothing he can do. Before he knows it, he’s hopping onto his motorcycle and riding away. Captain Vulcan’s mocking voice echoes in his ears.

* * *

When Galo needs to think, he goes to the lake.

He’s spent a lot of time thinking about his soulmate. Tracing the pattern, he wonders what they’ll be like — if they’ll be tall, or short, or loud, or quiet. And then there’s the littler things, like their coffee order, or which pizza toppings they’ll like. 

Lately, though, there’s only one think he can think about.

Pushing up his arm-guard, he lets his fingers wrap around the familiar design. Today, it seemed to get warmer as he got closer to the lake — but that was probably just his imagination. It looks as bright as ever, magenta flames taunting him from his own skin.

“Galo!”

Aina’s voice startles him out of his reverie. Heart hammering, he pushes his sleeve back down.

“Aina,” he says. “What are you doing here? Did you follow me?”

“Of course I did, dummy,” Aina huffs. “I thought you were going to go on a one-man-mission to storm Freeze Force HQ.”

“Oh! Did you come to help me?”

“_No_, I came to _ stop _ you.” Aina pauses, then asks, “What is this place?” 

“I come here to think,” Galo answers, stepping out onto the ice.

“What are you doing!? You’ll fall in!” Aina yells.

“I tried digging through the ice one time,” Galo explains. “I got five meters deep before I gave up. There’s no way it’ll break. Do you want to join me?”

Reluctantly, Aina steps forward. Galo pushes himself across the ice, and Aina follows. For a moment, they don’t speak, enjoying the sunset and each other’s company.

Then, Galo asks, “What do you think about soulmates?”

Aina skates in front of him, spinning around to look him in the eye.

“That’s kind of a big question, Galo,” Aina says, blushing. “I mean, I guess I think what anyone thinks? I hope I’ll get to meet mine, someday. Most people do, but… _well_. You know what happened to my sister.”

Galo knows — Heris’s soulmate had died when Aina was still young, before Heris had even gotten to meet them. One day, the mark had faded. After that, Heris was never the same.

“Yeah,” Galo sighs. He looks at his feet, unable to meet Aina’s eyes as he asks, “What if my soulmate is Burnish?”

For a moment, Aina says nothing. When Galo looks up, he can tell that it’s because she’s at a loss for words.

“I think they are,” Galo says. Slow to leave him, the words feel like they’re made of sand. “My mark is — it’s different.”

“That doesn’t mean your soulmate is Burnish,” says Aina, with reason — soulmark symbolism is a complicated business. “And even if they are, that’s okay! Of _ course _ it’s okay. Burnish are just regular people, after all.”

Without thinking, Galo rolls up his sleeve. Aina gasps when she realizes what he’s doing, but he trusts her. _ Loves _ her, even. 

Baring his soul, Galo waits. Tentatively, Aina steps forward to inspect the mark. She’s careful not to touch it. “It’s beautiful,” she says. “I’ve never seen one so… bright.”

“Yeah,” Galo replies, tracing the magenta flame with reverence, knowing in his heart that it reflects the soul of his other half. Knowing that the blue flame belongs to him. 

Knowing that his soulmate is Burnish.

“Yeah,” he says again, softer this time. “I know.”

Magenta flames streak across the sky._ Mad Burnish_, he thinks. He rushes away despite Aina’s protests.

* * *

Galo’s heart pounds as he steps further and further into the cave, watching the dimly lit Burnish hideout grow closer and closer.

When he sees them, he stops.

These people — they don’t look like terrorists. Hell, they don’t even look like_ petty criminals_. Huddled around their unnatural flame, they look tired, haggard, and human. He meets eyes with a child who couldn’t possibly be older than eight. 

The world goes dark.

When he wakes up, the leader of the Mad Burnish is posed artfully against a rock, watching Galo like a hawk.

“You,” Galo says, “Mad Burnish’s leader.”

“My name is Lio Fotia,” the boy — the man? — says. “Memorize it.”

“Why would—”

“Be quiet,” Lio hisses. “We’re having a meal.”

“Do you even need to eat?”

“We Burnish are only human,” Lio whispers, eyes boring into Galo’s soul. The dim fire highlights his boyish good looks, but he still seems so _powerful_. Galo struggles to breathe. “We eat, we drink, we sleep. We have soulmates.”

The words make Galo’s heart twist with regret. “You’re right. I’m sorry for what I said back on that roof. But that doesn’t mean you can just go around attacking—”

“Do you think we _want_ to live like this?” Lio begs. Without his composure, he's even _more_ threatening. “We don’t attack without reason, and when we do, we always provide an escape route. We pride ourselves in that.”

Lio steps forward, so close that Galo can almost feel his breath. Shivers dance on his spine.

“I want you to understand, Galo Thymos. We are only human. We’re born, we live...” Lio looks away. “We die.”

“Boss,” says one of the Burnish. Lio turns around. The Burnish have gathered the body of a young woman. Wrapped in bandages, her injuries are hidden from Galo’s eyes — but he recognizes the way she’s shaking. The bandages may as well be a burial shroud.

“Guiera and Meis are bringing a truck,” Lio whispers. “They’ll be here soon.”

“I don’t think she’s going to last that long,” one of the Burnish says. Galo’s throat tightens.

“I can help,” Galo pleads, struggling against his restraints. “I keep first-aid supplies on my bike. I could try to do something, I could—”

“_Your_ Governor did this to her,” Lio hisses, tears welling up in his eyes. “She was innocent. The Foresight Foundation experimented on her.”

Galo says nothing, watching the scene unfold with bated breath. Lips glowing with Burnish fire, Lio bends down and attempts to give the girl the kiss of life. His fingertips flicker against her skin. It’s unlike anything Galo has ever seen before. 

Galo prays the magic will work. 

It doesn’t.

As soon as the girl stops breathing, her skin turns grey. Small shadows begin to float up from her remains, back-lit by firelight.

“She’s turning to ash,” Galo whispers, eyes wide with incredulity. The Burnish stay quiet, mourning their lost friend. Lio rises to his feet.

“This is the fate of the Burnish,” Lio says. “So long as we live, our bodies are eternal. No flame can hurt us. But as soon as we die, our bodies turn to ash.”

Galo watches, mesmerized, as the ashes disappear into the depths of the cave.

“You need to understand, Galo Thymos,” Lio says, conjuring a flame in his open palm. “We can hear the flames. They speak to us. They want to burn, they_ need _ to burn. Feeding the flames is our destiny.”

Lio tosses the flame behind him, and the campfire erupts into a blaze. Like this — standing defiantly in front of his people, pale hair wreathed in flame — Lio Fotia is _ breathtaking_. Galo understands how he became their leader.

“Why? You could just stop,” Galo pleads, sounding desperate to his own ears. He doesn’t _understand_. He doesn’t want these people to get hurt, doesn’t want his soulmate to get hurt. His mark feels like it’s on fire — and for a fleeting, wild moment, he wonders if his soulmate is _here_.

“No we can’t,” Lio says, stepping closer to Galo. Galo wonders why Lio even cares. “We have to burn to survive. Kray Foresight punishes us for existing — his experiments are crueler than you could imagine. I don’t expect you to understand what it’s like, but you need to know.”

“Why do I need to know?”

Lio steps back, drawing attention to just how close their faces had been. Without the closeness, Galo feels cold. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Lio mutters. Composure melts back onto his face, closing him off to the world.

Galo lets his head hang down on his chest.

He’d always adored Kray Foresight. But now he’s seen children huddled together in a cave, looking up at him with fearful eyes. He just watched a battered woman turn to _ash_. The testimony of Lio Fotia bounces around his skull, echoing like a church hymn. 

Someone says something about the truck. Struggling to breathe, Galo says nothing. Everyone files out of the cave. Lio hangs back.

“You could stop,” Galo says, but his heart isn’t in it. The words taste sour in his mouth. “You could hold back. We could live peacefully alongside one another.”

Lio says, “Do you really believe that, Galo Thymos?”

Galo hesitates. “Yes,” he replies. 

“Then you’re even more of a fool than I thought you were.”

The cave falls silent. Footsteps echo down the chamber. The further away the Burnish get, the colder Galo feels. 

His mark no longer feels like it’s burning.

* * *

By the time Aina rescues him, he knows what he has to do.

The night passes in a blur. Morning sneaks up on him. And then, he’s standing in Kray Foresight’s office, looking into the eyes of his former idol, defiance flowing through him like rushing water.

“I need to return this,” he says, sliding the medal across Kray’s desk. “Lio Fotia has escaped from prison.”

Kray looks taken aback. “I hadn’t heard that.”

“I saw him,” Galo continues. “In a cave. He knocked me out and tied me up before I could do anything about it.”

“That’s unfortunate,” Kray says, shifting in his seat. “Still, you can keep the medal. You brought him in. If he escaped, it wasn’t your fault. You did your job.”

Galo pulls himself up as tall as he can and takes a deep breath.

“Medals are meant to be given to — and_ from_ — people who deserve them,” Galo says. “Neither of us is worthy.”

Kray’s posture hardens. “What do you mean?”

“Is it true that you’re doing experiments on the captured Burnish?”

Kray hesitates. The confirmation of Galo’s fears hits him like a slap in the face.

“It’s _wrong_,” Galo shouts. “You can’t just experiment on innocent people! Yes, it’s wrong that they start fires, but you can just arrest them and that’s it! You’re hurting people for no reason.”

The air in the office thickens. Kray rises from his desk.

“Follow me,” he says. 

What Kray shows Galo will haunt him for the rest of his life.

Later — locked in a jail cell with shackles on his wrists — Galo allows himself to weep. The mark on his arm feels cold.

* * *

A week is a long time to sit alone in a cell.

Galo tries to keep himself busy. Simple exercises keep his body from stagnating. He plays games with himself in his own head. People talk to each other outside, and they bring him food, and he doesn’t go insane.

He spends a lot of time thinking about his soulmate, wondering if they’ve suffered. They aren’t dead — his mark remains as bright as ever. That fact comforts him when he can’t sleep, keeps him sane when he wants to break.

Eventually, Heris comes to him. She undoes the electronic shackles around his wrists, and gives him a tray full of food.

“Heris, was your soulmate Burnish?”

Heris startles at the question. Her posture stiffens. 

“You have no right to ask that question,” she says, balling her hands into fists. “I only came to give you your last supper.”

Heris turns to leave.

“Mine is,” Galo says, and Heris stops. “Whoever they are, they’re still alive.”

“If you haven’t met them, then how do you know they’re Burnish?”

Galo pulls up his sleeve, holding out his arm for Heris to see. Heris walks over to look, her curiosity winning out over her professionalism. When she sees it, she inhales sharply.

“It burns, sometimes,” Galo says. “But it doesn’t hurt. It’s like I’m putting my arm into a fireplace, but without any of the pain.”

Heris looks away.

“Yes,” she says. “My soulmate was Burnish. She was killed during a raid. I never got to meet her. I only know her identity because, afterwards, I searched for her.”

“Then _why_?” Galo begs. “How? How could you _do this_ to these people?”

“They’re going to die either way,” Heris says. “All that matters is protecting my family. Protecting Aina. Surely you can understand that?”

Galo tries to understand. Really, he does. But he can still hear Lio Fotia’s voice in his mind — he can still see the Burnish refugees huddled around their campfire. 

“No,” he says. “This is wrong.”

“Very well,” Heris says. “You know, Aina adores you. For a while, she hoped you two would be soulmates.”

Given the circumstances, Galo doesn’t even know how to process that information. Heris leaves him alone with his demons.

* * *

The cell gets busted open, and he sees something that makes his heart clench.

“Lio,” he whispers, gazing up at the beautiful magenta dragon, and he sees — “those blue flames… he’s crying.”

Reckless with determination, he runs towards the dragon. When he sees catches sight of his team, a wave of relief crashes into him, carrying him forward.

“Captain! Captain,” he screams, running frantically alongside the Burning Rescue truck. “Fire! There's a fire!”

“Yeah, there’s one on your ass, too,” Ignis says, seeming both surprised and _un_surprised to see him. 

Galo uses all of his strength to jump onto the truck and climb through the hatch, panting as he falls in front of Lucia’s feet.

“Holy shit,” she yells, “you’re on fire!”

“Yeah,” Galo says, but he doesn’t mind — the flames don’t hurt. In fact, they feel … nice?

“Here,” Lucia says, and before he knows it, he’s being doused. It takes a great deal of fire extinguisher and flame retardant to do the job.

“I’m okay. I just need to get up there,” he says, pointing at the dragon’s eye.

“You’re crazy,” Lucia mumbles, but she’s already tapping the console, and Galo is already preparing for launch.

Galo doesn’t have much of a plan — he just knows he has to stop Lio. He’s too powerful, and _ something _ must have made him this upset — he’d never be causing this much damage, otherwise. Galo can’t let things escalate any further, or Lio will never forgive himself.

Lucia launches him straight into the eye of the dragon, and when Galo sees Lio — crackling with energy, beautiful face twisted in rage and despair — it breaks his heart.

“Lio,” he yells, voice struggling to win out over the roar of Burnish flames. “Listen to me, you don’t need to do this.”

“Stay _out_ of this, Galo Thymos,” Lio screams, trying to shake Galo off. The orb glows brighter, and burns hotter — but Galo holds on tight.

“It’s not even hot,” he lies. “With my burning firefighter’s soul, I can withstand any flame.”

“You don’t understand, and you never will,” Lio yells, and then they’re fighting. Galo prepares an ice blade.

“You don’t know that,” Galo says. “It doesn’t have to end like this. If you do this, thousands of innocent people will die. I know you don’t want that, Lio. _Please._”

Lio roars. Galo plunges his blade into the sphere.

It happens fast, faster than Lio can adjust for. The sphere explodes and they both go flying. As always, Aina is there to catch them.

Without the barrier between them, Lio looks more _human_. Neon hair frames Lio's face like a mane, wild and tangled. Fire crackles up his arms, licking the air.

“_I hate you_,” Lio yells, and Galo has to dodge a barrage of flame attacks. “Just stay out of it! You don’t understand _anything_!”

“This isn’t the way to do this,” Galo says, continuing to dodge as Lio pushes more and more, his anger made tangible in the confines of the plane’s containment bay. “Please, Lio, think about what you’re doing!”

“Me? _Think_?” Lio laughs, but the sound is humorless. “I’m not the one who _ doesn’t think_, Galo Thymos. God, I always thought you’d be _ different_.”

“I don’t know what that _means_,” Galo yells, and God, they’re still fighting. Galo’s arms are starting to get tired, but the adrenaline keeps him going.

“Of course you don’t know what that means,” Lio snarls, “you’re an _ idiot_. You shouldn’t have stopped me.”

“I know how you feel,” Galo pleads, “I was betrayed by Kray too.”

“You don’t know ANYTHING,” Lio screams, and something about his tone makes Galo feel like he’s missing something, like Lio knows something he doesn’t.

“I know that you don’t want to kill innocent people,” Galo says, and Lio hesitates. The flames around him dim slightly. They lock eyes.

Then the floor drops out, and they’re both falling.

“You guys need to cool down!” Aina yells. They collide with the ice, and Lio melts it into vapor, and…

It’s not a lake?

“What is this place?” Lio asks, looking up at the incredible structure in front of them. With torn sleeves and a face stained by soot and tears, he looks haggard. His forearm is wrapped in a tight bandage.

“I don’t know,” Galo says.

The answer to their questions comes in the form of an imposing, thunderous hologram. 

Aina lands, and together, they go down into what is — according to the hologram — some kind of huge computer? Galo isn’t sure, but he learns a few things.

The bad news is — the world is ending.

The good news is — they can stop it.

The other bad news is — they can’t stop it?

“I never got the chance to test my creation while I was alive,” Professor Prometh’s AI says. “I made it with a specific pair in mind — a Burnish and his bonded. Kray had them killed.”

“But it’ll work with anyone, right?” Aina asks, her voice frantic. “You just need a Burnish and someone who knows how to fight.”

“In theory, yes,” the hologram says. “Soulbond magic is strong. The Burnish I chose found that having his soulmate around enhanced his powers. I designed it with him in mind. I intended to run more thorough tests, but Kray killed me before I got the chance to.”

“We’ll do it,” Lio says. He sounds confident.

“You sound awfully confident,” Aina says. “Are you sure?”

“What other choice do we have?!” Lio exclaims. “We can do it. I know we can.”

“I trust Lio,” Galo says. “With his Burnish power and my firefighter’s spirit, I know we can do anything!”

Lio locks eyes with him, and Galo feels his soulmark burning. His hand moves to clutch his forearm._ I have to do this for my soulmate, _ Galo thinks. _ Who _knows_ where they are right now? They could be inside of that engine. _

“Oh my God,” Aina gasps. “_Oh my God_! Galo, you’re an idiot!”

“What?” Galo says.

“Your friend is right, Galo Thymos,” Lio says, soft eyes betraying sharp words. “You’re an idiot. But… Thank you. For stopping me.”

“It’s okay,” Galo says, smiling. “I know you aren’t evil, Lio. You care about the fate of your people. I admire that about you.”

“_Oh _ my _ God, _” Aina says again, rubbing her temples.

“It’ll be okay, Aina,” Galo says. “Things seem bleak, but we can make it through this. Your sister means well, even after all she’s done — she loves you, and she just wants to ensure your safety.”

“No, no, it’s okay,” Aina says, “I’ll process all of that later, after all of this is over. In fact, I think we’ll all have_ a lot _ to talk about if we make it to the other side of this.”

Lio lets out a breathy chuckle, and then he looks up at Galo and smiles — a sly, terrifying smile, but a smile nonetheless. Galo’s heart speeds up.

“Okay then! Looks like it’s time to save the world.”

* * *

“Saving the world” turns out to be kind of a clusterfuck.

Lio uses his considerable power to remake their mech, and Galo _desperately_ wishes to see it from a third-person perspective, because it feels _ amazing_. Galo and Lio are opposites in terms of fighting style — but they flow together like nothing Galo’s ever felt before.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t make it easy.

Sweat pools on Galo’s skin. Exhaustion starts to creep up on him, watching him from the sidelines, waiting to strike. Piloting mech is physically taxing — no matter how effortless the pros make it look — and Kray is _ relentless. _

“That robot is bad news,” Galo groans.

“We can’t win like this.”

“Ugh, I wish I had my Matoi armor.” Galo gestures incoherently towards the sky with one arm.

“Oh,” Lio says, “that weird decoration?” Galo makes a noise of displeasure.

“It’s not weird! It’s-”

“Fine, whatever,” Lio says, and he’s rolling his eyes, but he’s also using his considerable powers to stitch together one of_ the coolest things Galo has ever seen in his whole life, _ so Galo forgives him.

“You know, I think that Prometh guy was wrong,” Galo says. “Soulbond or not, we’re doing amazing!”

Lio huffs out a laugh. “Yeah,” he breathes. “We are.”

With a swing of their newly made matoi flag, they’re back in the fight.

Until the ship falls.

Gravity forces them all out of the top of the ship, and then they’re fighting again. Kray has an ice beam, but Galo is nothing if not persistent, and before long, both mech’s are immobilized. Panting, Galo rests for a moment, letting Lio warm him up with his magic — which feels _ amazing_, but Galo doesn’t have time to enjoy it.

Kray steps out, snarling like a beast. Galo wonders how he ever looked up to this man.

“Lio Fotia,” Kray bellows. “Do you want to save your brothers and sisters? Well, it’s too late. The burnish are destined to die. Listen — listen to their death throes!”

Lio screams, and before Galo can do anything to stop him, he’s running right at Kray and blasting him with all the power he can muster. Looking away, Galo expects the worst, but…

“What?” Lio gasps, and Galo realizes that Kray is _ still alive _ — because Kray, the _ bastard_, is _ Burnish too_. He monologues for a while, but the words are drowned out by the blood that pumps furiously through Galo’s ears.

Lio gets captured.

Galo feels numb — but he knows he has a job to do.

By the time he gets to Lio, he thinks it might be too late. Lio is lying on the ground, barely breathing. He’s missing _ pieces _ — his entire forearm is gone, chunks of his hair have evaporated. 

Galo snarls at the sight._ Kray Foresight_, he thinks, _ you don’t deserve to be saved. But I’m going to save you, anyway_.

When Kray tries to destroy him, he holds Lio’s flame tight, and he thinks of the captured Burnish, flayed alive in their grotesque prisons. He remembers the campfire in the cave — the Burnish children huddled around it, looking at Galo with wide, tired eyes. Straining to stay upright, Galo thinks of _ Lio_, a man so beautiful and powerful that Galo can hardly stand to _ look _ at him.

He doesn’t fall. The fire hurts, but he keeps walking. And walking. One step at a time, until he’s face to face with the man he once adored. Kray looks aghast.

“How did you…”

“Same as before, Lio protected me,” Galo says, holding up his clenched fist. Lio’s flame is leaking out of the edges, a comforting warmth against Galo’s skin. “I’m going to save him, and the Earth, and you, too.”

“Me?”

Galo doesn’t elaborate. He punches Kray as hard as he can, sending the man flying.

Finally, he rushes over to Lio.

Lio is barely breathing. Up close, the damage is even more pronounced. Parts of him have already started to fade away into ash. Desperate, Galo performs chest compressions.

He remembers the cave, and has an idea. “I guess I have no choice,” he whispers, passing Lio’s flame through his lips. 

He leans down and — it’s not a_ kiss_, but God, it _ feels _ like one. With CPR, there’s a method, a clinical approach to take. This is just _ waiting_. So Galo waits, pouring every bit of desperation his has through Lio’s lips. 

His eyes slip closed. When he opens them, Lio is alive. Galo can feel him breathing. _ Thank God_, he thinks.

He looks over to make sure Lio is back in one piece, and — his arm — the arm that had been missing just a few seconds ago —

“Galo,” Lio whispers, looking up at him. “You saved me.”

“Your arm,” Galo says, gesturing towards it. “It’s…”

“Yes,” Lio says, and then that arm is reaching towards Galo. The arm that, once upon a time, had a bandage on it.

The arm that now has_ Galo’s soulmark _ on it.

“I’m an idiot,” Galo says, his face leaning into Lio’s open palm. 

“Yes,” Lio says, chuckling, “You are.”

Not knowing what to say, Galo leans down and kisses him — for real this time, no pretences — and they’re both drowning in it, marks aching. Galo moves his forearm so his presses against Lio’s, the marks lining up blue-against-magenta and magenta-against-blue. A perfect match.

“I lit a fire because of you,” Galo stutters. It comes out softer than he meant it to. Hands shaking, he grasps at Lio’s hip, desperate to feel him. Tilting his head, Lio smirks.

Lio asks, “Do you regret it?”

They both know the answer. Galo kisses him again, but not for too long — they have a world to save.

* * *

Two weeks later, the dust settles, and Galo finds himself at a loss.

In the heat of the moment, it had been _ so easy _ to just _ kiss _ Lio, to _ hold _ him. Now, things are much harder. Between cleaning up the city, finding homes for the former Burnish, and _ re-building an entire city-state_, there's been little time for… well, anything else.

They’ve been using the Burning Rescue station as a makeshift headquarters. The North American Federation of City-States appointed a temporary Governor, and considering the recent events, gave Lio Fotia an official title as the Ambassador of Burnish Relations.

Lio took that title and began working himself to the bone.

Galo tries to keep track of him, but it’s almost impossible. He helps the former Burnish as much as he can both hands on and behind the scenes. One moment he’s consoling a child who feels cold and alone, not used to the Promare’s absence. The next, he’s poring over paperwork, trying to figure out how to re-integrate thousands of people into a society that utterly rejected them for three decades.

Galo knows he has to do something, or else his _ soulmate _ — and God, is _ that _still wild to think about — will die of exhaustion.

“Lio,” Galo says, barging into the man’s small office, “could I talk to you for a second? It’s important.”

Lio looks up at him through pale lashes, eyes shadowed with exhaustion. He sighs and stands up. “What do you need?”

“I need you to come look at something,” Galo says. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

Lio follows Galo to his office. Once they’re both inside, Galo shuts the door, locks it, and directs Lio to sit down. On his desk, there’s a steaming mug of black tea and a toasted bagel. Lio looks at it and scowls.

“I should have known not to take you seriously,” he mutters. “I’m _ busy_, Galo.”

“I know you are,” Galo says. “That’s why I made this for you. And you’re already here, so there’s no point in wasting it, right?”

“I don’t have _ time _ for this,” Lio hisses, burying his face in his hands. 

“Yes you do, Lio. Please, just _ relax _ for a moment, okay? Enjoy some tea. Then you can go back to work.”

“Relax? _ Relax_?” Lio laughs, mirthless and hollow. “I can’t afford to _ relax_.”

“Yes you _ can_,” Galo pleads. “Even if it’s just for a minute. You can’t keep doing this to yourself or you’re going to run out of steam.”

“You don’t understand,” Lio says, shaking his head. “And I don’t know what to say to make you understand. I just… I don’t have time for this, Galo, _ please.” _

“You’re right,” Galo agrees, “I don’t understand. I can never understand what you’ve been through, what your people have been through, but I can’t just sit back and watch you—”

“_I don’t know how_.”

Galo pauses. “What?”

“I don’t know how to relax,” Lio clarifies. He looks into Galo’s eyes and Galo’s heart aches for him.

“I’ve been on the run for as long as I can remember,” Lio continues. “I was a child when it happened. My parents were doing business in Detroit, and they brought me along. God, it’s so stupid — I saw someone on the street kick a cat. It was just a kitten, and I started screaming, and before I knew it, I was on fire. I was only five. I started running as fast as I could and I never looked back.”

“Lio,” Galo whispers, stepping forward.

“I don’t know what happened to my parents. Maybe they looked for me, maybe they didn’t. I found a Burnish hideout and I begged them to keep me safe. They did, for a while, until they were discovered. I was always running, and running, and I _ dreamed _ of the day when I could _ stop _ running and now it’s — now it’s here, and I should be happy, but I’m just — I don’t even know how to _ live_.”

“Well,” Galo says, keeping a respectful distance, “we can start with a bagel. Is that okay? Some tea and a bagel. We’ll figure the rest out later.”

Tears start to roll down Lio’s cheeks. “A bagel,” he laughs. “God, I’m so stupid.”

“No you aren’t,” Galo scoffs. “You’re, like, ridiculously smart. And _ powerful_, Burnish or not. I don’t want to see you run yourself into the ground.”

Lio sits down, and Galo sits across from him. For a moment, they’re silent, Lio biting tentatively at the bagel while Galo tidies up the rest of his desk.

“We haven’t talked about_ it _ yet,” Lio says, breaking the silence. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” Galo says, trying to keep his voice steady. “We have time. I just want you to be okay, yeah? You don’t — you don’t _ owe _ me anything, just because you’re my soulmate.”

“I know,” Lio sighs. “Regardless, I want to talk about it. I’ve been watching you, Galo. You’ve… you’ve been working so hard. You help people. I always hoped that my soulmate would be someone like you.”

Galo blushes and sputters.

“Don’t let it go to your head, though,” Lio continues. “You’re still an idiot, and you _did_ get me arrested.”

“You got arrested on_ purpose_.”

“Oh, I know,” Lio smirks, “I would have _ destroyed _ you in a _ real _ fight. Still, it’s the principle of the thing.”

“Oh, is it? In that case, why don’t we talk about you _ sneaking up behind me and knocking me out in a dark cave_.”

“Well,” Lio says, taking a long sip of his tea with a shrug. “_You_ snuck up on _us_. Or at least, you _ tried _ to sneak up on us.”

“You know,” Galo says, “you’re kind of a little shit.”

“You aren’t the first person to say so, Galo Thymos, and you won’t be the last,” Lio laughs. “In any case, you’re stuck with me.”

Galo smiles.

“Yeah, I am.”

“Oh my God, don’t look at me like that,” Lio splutters, blushing. “I need to get back to work. Will you…” Lio trails off.

“I don’t know, will I?”

“Come to my room tonight,” Lio says. “I know how that sounds, but really, we don’t have to do anything. I just want to talk again. I enjoy talking to you.”

“Of course,” Galo says, his heart speeding up in spite of itself. “What time?”

“Whenever you’re done for the day,” Lio says. “I think… I’m going to take the rest of the day off. Clearly I’m not taking care of myself if I’ve got burly firefighters force-feeding me bagels.”

“_Good_,” Galo sighs, relieved. “Please, get some rest. I’ll see you tonight.”

“Yes,” Lio says, standing to leave. “And Galo?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you,” Lio says, sincerity coloring his voice. Galo smiles at him.

“Any time.”

* * *

Later that night, Galo stands at the door to Lio’s room. It used to be a kitchen, according to the signage around the door. There’s a pane of glass in the window, but Lio has covered it with a curtain.

Galo steels himself and knocks. Lio opens the door with a small smile.

“Hello,” Lio says, stepping back to let Galo in. “Make yourself at home.”

The room isn’t much. It has all the furnishings of a small kitchen, which makes sense. The bed in the corner looks out of place. Thick hang over the windows, blocking out the city. Unscented emergency candles burn on the counter-tops — Lio must have stolen them from a supply room somewhere.

“Nice,” Galo says. Lio nods.

“It’s not bad,” Lio says. “Not the worst place I’ve ever lived. It is kind of weird, sleeping in a room alone. I’m so used to sharing space with other people.”

“Yeah,” Galo says, “I know how you feel. They shuffled me around a lot as a kid. I got used to sharing rooms with virtual strangers. When I started working for Burnish Rescue, I got my own apartment. I almost couldn’t stand it. It was too quiet.”

They look at each other. Galo shifts his weight from foot to foot too rapidly for it to seem natural, performing the ancient dance of the awkward and uncertain.

“Do you mind if I sit down?”

“The only place to sit is the bed,” Lio says. “But, no. I don’t mind.”

Galo goes to sit on the bed. Lio follows, and then they’re sitting next to each other in silence. Galo can hear Lio’s quiet breathing. His heart is pounding in his ears. _ God, _ he thinks, _ I’m acting like a teenager. _

Lio shifts closer to him. “You’re warm,” he explains, as if he needs to justify the behavior. Galo almost laughs out loud at the absurdity of it all.

“Lio,” he whispers, leaning slightly towards the smaller man. Lio looks up at him.

“Yes?”

This time, when Galo kisses him, the world isn’t ending. There is no battleground. It’s just the two of them. They lean into each other’s warmth, sliding their parted lips together. Lio reaches a hand up to cup Galo’s neck. In return, Galo reaches to slide Lio’s bangs behind his ears.

By the time they break apart, their arms have entwined, marks sliding against each other. Galo holds back a groan.

“I’m so glad I found you,” Galo whispers. “I would have chosen you. Even without the mark. I would have taken one look at you and _ chosen _ you.”

Even in the dim light, Galo can see that Lio is blushing.

“You can’t know that for certain,” Lio says, turning his face away.

“I would have,” Galo says, unwavering. “You’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen, and that’s one of the_ least _ interesting things about you.”

Lio looks up at him with glassy eyes. “Fuck,” he hisses, “you can’t just _ say _ things like that, you _ idiot_.” There’s no heat or anger behind his words.

“Yes I can,” Galo chuckles. “I just did. I’ll say it again, if you want me to. Lio, you’re the most—”

Lio cuts him off with a kiss. He no longer burns, but Galo still melts into his touch.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! feel free to [hit me up on tumblr](https://literallyaflame.tumblr.com/)


End file.
